Laundering method



- 25 liquor soap and usually an alka Patented Oct. 7, 1930 i UNIT DSTATES PATENT OFFI E zaonnn'r manna, or-npnmmann, NEW JERSEY, assrenonmo 11. xomvsrm a 00., mc.,; or nnw xonx, N. Y., a conrona'rron on NEWYORK munnnnme Mmn'on No Prawing.

.In ordinary laundering} operations the goods are given a bath in whichare intro duced; ableach, soap, and an alkali, these agents servingparticularlyto remove stains.

5 After such a bath the goods are ordinarily rinsed very thoroughly andin' several suc-.

cessive waters to' remove the alkali. 'Such'i removal is important morder to prevent a coloration and has other points of advantage vreferred to hereinafter in detail.

A specific example of a process utilizing my invention is the followingThe goods are first given a bath in cold water with soap and trisodiumphosphate or other softener which reduces the surface tension .of thewater'.

so The goods are then subjected to a second bath of hot water (say 118degrees F.) andsoap serving chiefly for the removal of dirt. .They arethen subjected to a third bath containing a bleach, such as hypochloritei such .as

sodium carbonate. The principal purpose of this bath is'to removestains. It is used also'toassist in. getting any soapout of .the' goodsand into solution in the water. f

The next stage of the process is a succession of rinses, Usuallythis'has been four successive rinses in'clearwater, for-the purpoes ofgetting out the alkali and the bleach.

According to my process, one or more cs'of these rinsing operationsafter applicationof the bleach and alkali, I ropose mstead of tryingtoget all'thea ali out by:

Ynerely rinsing with water as a solvent,- to

modify the alkali theaddition of an agent 40 which will convert it intoa-harmless and easily removed substance. v

For example; I.-add amnionium'sulfate or chloride. or other salt ofammonium. There are also var ous equivalents for ammonium salts in thisoperation, such for example as Application flea Jun 11,1923. Serial1101044518.

what are known as substituted ammoniumsalts. Using. ammonium chloride,the combination with-thesodium carbonate will be in accordance with thefollowing' formula 2NH' Cl'-l-Na CO5= 1 Y 2NHg+CO +2NaCl+Il O Theammonia is much less alkaline than sodiumcarbonate and other usuallaundry alkalies; or it escapes as a gas. The carbon 56 dioxide ofcourse is agas. ,Thesodium'chloride passes easily into solution andis'neu tral. Thus there is nothin left which, like tlfieoriginal alkali,might 'velop a spot in t e .7

After the rinsing operations described the laundering operations may becontinued by a fifth step --in which the goods are subjected to asouring and bluing bath. Finally they aresubject-ed to hot and coldrinsing. As an alternative to the above process, after- 4 -the-bleachand alkali bath I propose to introduce into one or moreof the rinsewaters an antichlor such for example as sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfiteor sodium thiosulfate 7o 'or some other salt or salts which are reducingto chlorine in an alkaline solution.

Or I may "add such a chlorine reducing agent 'and thelalkali-modifying 4salt in the.

same rinse water." fact'in order to secure the two effects referred to{I may use an agentwhichcombines them." For ex-Q ample ammonium sulfiteor 'ammonium-thio sulfate will serve 'not .only as an aritichlor.

but also as'. a modifying agent for the sodium carbonate orother'alkalir This use of an agent which combines the two efiectsreferred tois not claimed specifically in the present application, beingcovered m aj 'divisional application No. (42,268lf.

Another alternative is in the use of the f sodium carbonatesifi one ormore of the succeeding rinse operations, in" combination/1 with theantichlpi'. 'me hod, as well as in the method first dw goods. 60

In. this alternativ scribed, it will' be -understood that there are'manyknown alka'lies which are the Q equivalent of sodium carbonate inthiswork and also a variety of known'anti'chlors; and 5 any knownorsuitable agents a-fy be substituted for those specificall re erred .to.-Where the alkali and the antic or are added together in the rinsewater, we will gencr- V all'y,-but not necessarily, omit'the alkali mwhich, according to. the proces first de-- scribed above, wasadded. withthe bleach. Though I have described at particularity of detail certain.embot m ents of my invention, yet it is not to be understood therefromthat the invention is restricted to the particular embodimentsdisclosed. Variou's modifications thereof in detailan'd in the order ofthe steps described-may be made: without departing from the invention asdefinedin the following claims.

. atIclaimis; 1'. Inlaundering," the method whichincludes'subjecting-the goods to" a bath containing soap and. analkaliadapted to remove stains, converting-thealkaliinto a harmless and moreeasily removedsubstanoe, rinsing toremove such substance and thereaftersub- Lectgng thegoods to, a' scaling and bluing 1 at 2m '2; Inlaundering. the method which in- .cludesfsubjeotinfit e goods to a bath'containing' soap an an; alkali adapted to re-' move stains andconverting such alkali into 4 ammonia and an easily removable saltby theadditionof a salt of ammonium and rinsing out said easil removable salt.

.3. 'In laundering, t e method which in- -eludes subjectin the goodsto abath containing soap, ah each and an alkali adapted to remove stains andthereafter applyin .an .antichlor'and converting the alkali into aharmless and easily removed-substance and rinsing out such substa'nce.

4. In laundering, the method which ineludes subjecting the goods to abathcontaining soap, a bleach and analkali adapted to removestains andthereafterapplyin an .anti'chlor and asalt of ammonium w ich convertsthe alkali into ammonia and an 'eafily removable salt and rinsing outsaid sa t r -5. Inlaundering, the method which includes subjectin thegoods to a bath containing soap,.a b each and an alkali adapted toremove stains adding .an agen't which is reducing to the bleach andanagent which. converts the alkali into a harmless and more easilyremoved substance and rinsing ,Qllt

such substance. v Inwitnesswhereofilhave hereunto signed my name. 4 a vROBERT A. PHAIR.

